WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — A mano-a-mano battle for the 89th West Virginia State Amateur championship?

Not of you ask the opponents who will go head-to-head today in the final round at The Greenbrier Resort’s Old White course.

Defending champion Anthony Reale fired a two-under-70 to take a one shot lead over 2005 Amateur champion Tim Fisher, who had a 72 after back-to-back 69s in the first two rounds.

“You could do that, but Tim is a great player and he’s won it before and Mike Veres is still right there and he’s a good player,” Reale said. “You can’t look at as match play, you have to go out and play your game. You have to take it shot-by-shot. If I do that it’ll be all right.”

“Hopefully, I can play my own game and that will be enough,” Fisher said. “I can’t worry about that. At this point you just have to worry about your own game.”

Fisher entered Wednesday’s round on the Greenbrier course with a 1-shot lead but Reale took it back when Fisher faltered a bit on the backside.

After birdies on Nos. 2, 3 and 5, Fisher went without a birdie the rest of the way.

No. 9 was a microcosm of the day Fisher had.

“I felt like I let it get away a bit,” Fisher said. “The wind kept changing directions on us. No. 9 was playing 221 yards and I hit a hybrid, a club I can normally hit 210 yards, and it didn’t come close.”

Reale, meanwhile, had birdies on 3, 8, 12 and 18, four of the par-5s.

“Any scoring that was going to be done (on the Greenbrier course) was going to be done Monday,” Reale said. “The course was set up tougher, there were tougher pin locations and the wind was playing havoc.”

Nobody knew that better than 12-time champion Pat Carter.

The Huntington native shot a 75, partly because of a catastrophe on the par-3 17th.

“I took two clubs to the tee box,” Carter said. “It was playing 154 and there was a downwind when I was on the tee box. I took the seven-iron but by the time I got over the ball the wind had completely changed so I switched to the eight-iron. I just blocked it.”

It went into the water and Carter, knowing the drop spot would have been impossible, went into the drink and hit out.

The double-bogey likely took him out of contention.

“It was my second double bogey of the tournament,” Carter said. “You can’t have that and expect to win. That’s probably the tournament for me. I’ll come out and grind it out tomorrow.”

Veres, a former pro on the Tar Hill Tour who recently regained his amateur status, is two shots back after a 2-under 70.

“I played very well today,” said the 30-year-old Chapmanville native, whose round included an eagle on No. 8. “The main thing is I’ve given myself a chance to be in contention. I know I’ll have to earn it because Tim and Anthony are playing really well.”

Steve Fox, who won the tournament in 1988 and 1994, had a fine round with a 69.

“Not really,” he said when asked if the 69 made him have any regrets about an opening round 73 Monday. “When you get to be my age (54) you’re just happy to make the cut. So many of these young kids just bomb the ball.”

Reale and Fisher both believe today’s championship round will be won on the green.

“The greens are 100-percent different,” Reale said of the difference between the Greenbrier and Old White greens. “The ball has a completely different role. But I’ve been putting a pretty good stroke on the ball.”

“The greens here (on the Greenbrier course) are pretty spongy and soft,” Fisher said. “Over there the greens are a little finer and a little quicker. But I feel like I’m putting real well. That’s what’s going to win or lose the championship.”

— E-mail:

demorrison@register-herald.com



W.Va. Amateur scores

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS (AP) — Scores after the third round of the West Virginia Amateur golf tournament Wednesday at The Greenbrier resort. The first and third rounds were played on the 6,675-yard, par-72 Greenbrier course. The second round was played on the 6,790-yard, par-70 Old White course:

Anthony Reale, Glenville 69-70-70 — 209

Tim Fisher, Statts Mills 69-69-72 — 210

Michael Veres, Chapmanville 72-70-70 — 212

Justin Caroli, Bridgeport 69-72-72 — 213

Stephen Fox, Huntington 73-74-69 — 216

Bosten Miller, Charleston 72-73-71 — 216

Ben Palmer, Parkersburg 78-71-68 — 217

Pat Carter, Huntington 71-71-75 — 217

Christian Brand, Charleston 70-71-76 — 217

Sam O’Dell, Hurricane 72-73-73 — 218

Kenneth Hess, Parkersburg 70-75-74 — 219

Matthew Gissy, Weston 73-71-75 — 219

Michael Hines, Lindside 72-74-74 — 220

Zachary Yochum, Wheeling 76-74-71 — 221

Matt Hicks, Sissonville 70-75-76 — 221

Kelly Shumate, Crab Orchard 77-74-71 — 222

Will Johnson, Charleston 72-74-76 — 222

Clark Priddy, Nitro 76-70-76 — 222

David Fields, Fort Gay 75-74-74 — 223

Trevor Hedges, Martinsburg 75-71-77 — 223

Scott Miller, Princeton 72-77-75 — 224

Lannie Clinebell Jr., Wh.Sul.Spgs 74-74-77 — 225

Trent Roush, Mason 75-70-80 — 225

Tad Tomblin, Man 72-80-74 — 226

Nathan Kinker, Barboursville 77-75-74 — 226

Jeremy Tucker, Mason 74-77-75 — 226

Aaron Boggs, Madison 74-76-76 — 226

Joshua Arbaugh, Canvas 76-73-77 — 226

Nathan Flint, Alderson 79-73-75 — 227

Patton Couch, Logan 76-74-77 — 227

Justin Windon, Lewisburg 78-74-76 — 228

Phil DiLorenzo, Weirton 76-75-77 — 228

Josh Boswell, Alderson 78-71-79 — 228

Jamie Whitt, Huntington 76-71-81 — 228

Carson Schambach, Glen Dale 72-71-85 — 228

Craig McGlothlin, Huntington 74-78-77 — 229

Scott Bodden, Huntington 71-80-78 — 229

Sam Booth, Hurricane 80-72-77 — 229

Stacey Shy, Huntington 78-72-80 — 230

Jeffrey Estep, Bridgeport 76-76-79 — 231

Bryan Snow, Ranson 72-78-82 — 232

Jim Grimmett, Davin 78-73-81 — 232

Jeff Bryant, South Charleston 72-77-83 — 232

Michael Mays, Lester 74-74-85 — 233